Sana’a 28 April 2016 – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, in partnership with INTERSOS and Yemeni Women Union conducted a mapping exercise to identify active local and international actors that provide services to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Yemen. The purpose of the mapping is to strengthen the referral system for GBV nationwide and having a unified system in this regard.

The exercise took place in 19 governorates across the country and around 457 organizations- including 10 international organizations- were included in the exercise. Only 414 out these organizations are found to work in the field of GBV. The mapping exercise began in mid of February this year and lasted for one month.

The exercise provides an overview of existing activities with regard to combating GBV and services provision for GBV survivors during the current crisis in Yemen. The GBV mapping exercise focuses on the key actors on the ground responding to GBV and which services are being provided and where and by whom. It also highlights the governorates with good and weak response.

In this view, UNFPA and INTERSOS conducted a consultation workshop to present the results of the mapping in the presence of more than 50 participants from government, INGOs and local NGOs who commended UNFPA and its partners on this crucial exercise. The workshop stressed on the importance of establishing a unified referral system and engaging media, men and boys in raising awareness about GBV issues. They also pointed out on the crucial role of establishing a database for GBV cases as well as networking among all relevant stakeholders, and highlighted the important role that female police can play in this regard.

One of the main identified challenges is to update the Standard Operation Procedures and establish a sustained and well-functioning referral pathway at the governorate level as well as the lack of consolidated and comprehensive data on existing GBV support services.

It is worth to mention that- based on the results of the mapping  - a guide for GBV services has been produced. The guide provides maps for all the GBV services providers and their contact across the 19 governorates. Discussions are ongoing to plot the results of the mapping into GBV Information Management System map.